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METHOD '0? AND APPARATUS FOR BLBAOIHING AND DYEING TEXTILE MATERIALS.No. 489,819. Patented Jan. 1%18'93.

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STATES PATENT OFFIC LEOPOLD LE BLOIS, OF ELBEUF, FRANCE.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING OR DYEING TEXTILE MATERIALS.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,819, dated January10, 1893.

Application filed April 1, 1891. Serial No. 387,610. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD LE BLoIs,a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at Elbeuf, Department of the Seine-Infrieure, in theRepublic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBleaching and Dyeing Cotton and other Textile Materials and in ApparatusTherefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to an improved method of and apparatus forbleaching and dyeing vegetable materials, and while the invention isapplicable to many kinds of such materials, it is more especiallyadapted to the bleaching and dyeing of cotton, either raw, or in theform of slivers or threads.

Prior to my invention, it was considered necessary as a preparatory stepin the operation of bleaching or dyeing to ungum the material andthereby reduce it to, as nearly as To do this the material was subjectedto the action of a bath or Wash for several hours ata temperature equalto or above the boiling point of the bath. The fiber thus treated, beingdeprived of its natural gums and oils, was harsh, brittle and weakenedand consequently there was more or less waste in the further treatment.This is obviated by my invention, for I have discovered that vegetablematerial, especially cotton, may be bleached or dyed after impregnationin cold or moderately warm liquids thus avoiding the usual ungummingoperations and the subjection of the material to high temperatures;consequently vegetable material treated in accordance with my inventionretains its natural softness, pliability and strength.

In practicing my invention I first thoroughly impregnate the materialwith water, or weak bleaching or dyeing fluids at a temperature alwaysbelow the ordinary boiling point of water, and then bleach or dye thesoaked material by successive dippings in a proper bath.

In order to effect the thorough impregnation in thepreparatory bath, Iseparate the material into small parcels, which are placed in speciallyconstructed receptacles accommodating from one to two kilograms of thefiber. These receptacles are then inserted in a vacuum chamber or vat,and the bath is caused to flow into the vat until the material in thereceptacles is covered thereby. Ithen alternately produce a vacuum inthe vat, and admit air thereto, in such manner that the latter willbubble up through the bath and the material contained therein. By thesemeans the liquid of the bath is brought into intimate contact with allthe fibers throughout all the separate parcels into which the materialis divided, and therefore, a thorough impregnation of the mass iseffected.

By using a vacuum chamber the fibers are prepared for bleaching ordyeing at temperatures much below the ordinary boiling point of water.In practice the temperature may vary from 10 centigrade, to 80centigrade, according to circumstances, and the nature of the materialtreated, and consequently the fiber is not damaged or injured as italways is when high temperatures are employed. After the material hasbeen thoroughly impregnated throughout, the bleaching and dyeing bathsreadily penetrate the fiber and act on every portion thereof, so thatthe ungumming hitherto thought to be necessary, is, by my invention,avoided. After this preparatory treatment, the bleaching and. dyeing areaccomplished by alternately dipping the material in the proper bath andexposing it to the air. These dippings agitate the bath, and in the caseof dyeing, prevent deposits of undissolved dye on the material.

The improved apparatus by means of which the impregnating, bleaching anddyeing operations are performed, is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification.

An important feature of the apparatus is that by its use the directhandling of the material is avoided and the consequent felting of thesame is prevented. This is accomplished by the use in the apparatus ofperforated or open work chests or boxes, each of which holds but a smallpart of the entire charge; the apparatus being so constructed that thechests or boxes with their contents undisturbed may be transported fromthe impregnating bath to the bleaching and dyeing baths and theretreated without handling. All this will more fully appear from thefollowing detail description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a front elevation of the vacuum vat; Fig. 2, is a verticalsection of the same; Fig. 3 is a front elevation and top plan of a frameor rack for the interior of the vat; Fig. 4, \is a central cross sectionof the vat; Fig. 5, is an inverted sectional view of the same; Fig. 6,is a perspective view of one form of portable chest or box for thematerial; Fig. 7, is a side and end view of another form of chest orbox; Fig. 8, is a perspective view of still another form of chest orbox; Fig. 9, is an elevation of a bleaching and dyeing vat and dippingwheel therefor; and Fig. 10, is an I edge view of a portion of thedipping wheel.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts all throughout thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, thereis shown a vat 1, consisting of a cylindrical or other shaped, cast orsheet-iron body with one end provided with a large rectangular opening2, through which access is had to the interior of the vat. The opening2, is normally closed by a door or cover 3, held in place by clips 4,arranged around-three sides of the opening, and by clamp screws 5,extending through the clips 4, and into contact with the cover, and byother clamp screws 5, which pass through the cover and into the sidewall of the vat on the side of the opening 2, free from the clips 4.Within the vat 1, there is a rectangular frame or support 6, formed ofangle iron and shaped to receive a movable frame or rack 7, (Fig. 3,)mounted upon rollers 8, which travel on the lowermost portions of theframe 6, when the rack is inserted in the vat through the opening 2.Within the vat above the frame 6, there is a system of pipes 9, providedwith perforations as indicated, and this system is connected by a pipe10, provided with a valve 11, with a suitable air pump, (not shown) bymeans of which the air may be exhausted from the vat. Within the vat,below the frame 6, is another system of pipes 12, also perforated. Atone end, this second system of pipes communicates with a reservoir (notshown), of water, or other suitable fluid, by means of a pipe 13,provided with avalve 14; and at the other end by means of a pipe 15,provided with a valve 16, the system of pipes may be opened to the freeair. The valves 14, and 16 are connected by a link 17, so that they maybe operated simultaneously, and these valves are so constructed that inone position the valve 14 is open and the valve 16, closed; in anotherposition the valve 14, is closed and the valve 16, open, and in another,preferably gle pieces 25, extending between the two frames 20, at thecorners of the openings or the reception of a rectangular chest or box26,

shown in perspective in Fig. 6, and formed of perforated metal. Thechests, however, may be otherwise constructed, for instance, as shown inFig. 7, in which case they are semicylindrical, being formed oflongitudinal slats or rods 27, held and spaced by end pieces 28, 29, andalso in the middle as shown, the chest being provided with a cover 30;or the chests may be constructed as shown in Fig. 8, in which case theyare rectangular and likewise formed of slats 27, and pieces 28, 29, anda number of intermediate binding pieces. It will be understood thatwhatever be the shape of the chests the rack will be suitably shaped toreceive them.

The chests may be constructed in any suitable manner so long as theywill retain the material to be treated and permit the free circulationof liquid through them and to the said material.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 9 and 10, there is shown asemi-cylindrical vat or trough 31, on the upper straight edges of whichare mounted the journal boxes, 32 of the axle or shaft 33, of a wheel34, which I will hereinafter refer to as the dipping wheel. The dippingwheel 34, is constructed as follows: Upon the axle 33, are two hubs 35,keyed thereto, and on each of these hubs there are a number of radialspokes or arms 36. Each set of spokes carries a number of concentricrings 37, and the spokes of-one hub are firmly connected to the spokesof the other hub by braces 38. Secured to the rings 37 and extendingfrom one side of the wheel to the other are angle irons 39, disposed asshown in Fig. 9, to form a series of skeleton pockets for receiving thechests 26 before described, the pockets being shaped to correspond tothe form of the chests. When the pockets are rectangular the spokes arecut away as shown at 40, to permit the pockets being placed radially inthe wheel.

The vat 31, may be entirely cylindrical instead of semi-cylindrical andin practice it will be connected with reservoirs containing suitablebleaching, dyeing and washing fluids. These reservoirs and connections,and the outlet by means of which the baths are withdrawn from the vat31, are not shown, since the arrangement thereof will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains.

With an apparatusconstructed as described my process of impregnating,bleaching and dyeing may be practiced as follows: The material to betreated is placed in the chests 26, which are inserted in the rack 1,and the door of the vat is then clamped tightly in place, thushermetically sealing the opening through which the chests wereintroduced. The valves 14, 16 and 19, are closed and thevalve IIO 11,opened, after whichthe air is exhausted from the vat until the desireddegree of vacuum is produced. The valve 14, is then opened and water orother suitable fluid is forced into the vat by atmospheric pressure,until all the chests are covered, after which the valve 14:, is closed.The vacuum is again produced, and then the valve 11, is closed and thevalve 16 is opened, thus admitting air which enters the vat through theperforated pipes 12, and bubbles up through the liquid in the vat andthrough the material in the chests, The vacuum thus destroyed is againobtained by closing the valve 16, and again opening the valve 11. Thealternate creation of the vacuum and admission of air are contin ued fora time until the entire mass of ma terial is thoroughly impregnated.nipulations of the valves, in the process so far described, may bevaried in so far as it is practicable to leave the valve 14, open duringthe initial exhaustion of air from the vat, in which case the fluid willgradually enter the vat as the air becomes gradually exhausted. By theexhaustion of the air, the fibers of the materials treated are freedfrom the adhering and condensed layers of air which ordinarily envelopthe same, and the fluid in the vat has thus direct access to the saidfibers; and the agitation of the fluid by the subsequent admissions ofair, forces the fluid into still more intimate contact with the fibers.

The impregnating baths may be ordinary water, but I obtain the bestresults by using, when preparing the material for bleaching, a weakbleaching bath for the initial impregnation, such for instance as anaqueous solution a three-tenths per cent. solution of neutralhypochlorite of soda.

When preparing the material for dyeing I may employ as the initial orimpregnating bath, a weak dyeing fluid which will produce on thematerial, a ground adapted to the color or shade to be ultimatelyproduced. The ordin ary practice in accordance With mymeth- 0d and theone which gives the best results, is to first impregnate the materialwith either a weak bath of hypochlorite or with a weak dye bath, as thecase may be, in the vacuum vat, as described, and then to bleach or dye,or bleach and dye the same, as the case may be, in the Wheel vat. Forthis purpose, when the material in the vacuum vat has been impregnated,the fluids therein are withdrawn through the valve 19, and the chestswith their contents are removed and placed in the pockets in the dippingwheel. The wheel vat is then filled to a suitable height with thebleaching or dyeing fluid, as the case maybe, and the wheel is rotatedalternately to the rightandleftand therebyeffects the successiveimmersion and exposure to the air of the material in the chests, wherebyuniformity of bleaching or dyeing is obtained, while the passage of thechests through the fluid thoroughly agitates the same thus aiding in impregnating the material, while in the case of The madyeing, theagitation of the bath prevents deposits of undissolved dye powder on thesaid material. Mordant, purifying and washing baths can also be readilyused in the wheel vat in the same manner as the bleaching and dyeingbaths are used without deterioration or felting of the material used.

It will be observed that after the material is once placed in the cheststhe operations of impregnating, bleaching, dyeing, washing, and thetransportation of the chests from the vacuum vat to the wheel vat, areperformed Without direct handling of the material treated, thus avoidingfelting or injury to the materials; this being particularly advantageouswith such delicate materials as combed and drawn cotton slivers, whichcan, after having been dyed, and without any supplementary operation,besubjected to the final process of drawing-in and spinning, that is tosay, the spinning process may be taken up again at the stage where itwas interrupted for the bleaching or dyeing operations. Thus, by thecombined use of the vacuum and wheel vats, and the portable chests thebleaching and dyeing operations may be comfortably and expeditiouslyperformed without subjecting the material to direct handling, and I amenabled to practice my process herein set forth, with certainty ofobtaining uniformly good results, and with economy.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In the process of dyeing or bleaching vegetable material, the methodof first impre nating the fiber in its natural state with a suitablefluid, such as water or water tinctured with dyeing or bleaching liquid,at a temperature below the normal boiling point, and then subjecting thetreated material to the dyeing or bleaching operation, substantially asdescribed.

2. In the process of bleaching or dyeing vegetable fiber, the method ofimpregnating the material in its natural state, with a suitable fiuid,byimmersing the material inthe fluid, at a temperature below the normalboiling point of water, and then alternately creating a partial vacuumover the fluid and passing air through the same, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a bleaching or dyeing apparatus, a vacuum vat provided with inletand outlet ducts for a suitable bath, an air exhaust duct at the upperend of the vat, and an air inlet duct at the lower end of the vat,substantially as described.

4:. In a bleaching or dyeing apparatus, perforated or openwork chestsfor the material to be treated, in combination with a vat provided withsupports for the chests, and having an air exhaust duct above thesupports and an air inlet duct below the same, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a bleaching or dyeing apparatus, perforated or openwork chests forthe material to be treated, in combination with a vat provided withsupports for the chests, inlet and outlet ducts for a suitable bath, anair exhaust duct above the supports, a system of perforated pipes belowthe supports, and an air inlet duct connected to the said system ofpipes, substantially as described.

6. In a bleaching 0r dyeing apparatus, the combination With portableperforated or openwork chests or boxes for the material to be treated,with a vacuum vat provided with supports for the chests orboxes, and ableaching or dyeing vat provided With a dipping Wheel also havingsupports for the chests or boxes-substantially as described.

7. The process of bleaching 0r dyeing vegetable fiber, consisting infirst impregnating the fiber with a Weak bleaching or dyeing fluid andthen subjecting it to the action ofa bleaching or dyeing bath of therequisite strength, substantially as described.

8. The process of bleaching or dyeing vegetable fiber consisting infirst impregnating the fiber in its natural state With a Weak bleachingor dyeing fluid ata temperature below the normal boiling point of water,and then subjecting the impregnated fiber to the action of ableaching ordyeing bath of the requisite strength, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LEO'POLD LE BLOIS.

Witnesses:

ALPHONSE GRi'iNFELDER, Row. M. HOOPER.

